Electronic multiple pulse generator



Feb. 28, 11950 ELECTRONIC MULTIPLE PULSE GENERATOR D. M. BASSETT ET AL Filed NOV. 8, 1945 TRIGGERING PULSE SOU R C E INVENTOR DEWEY M. BASSETT GEORGE A. LANGSTON ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 28, 1950 eans ELECTRONIC MULTIPLE PULSE GENERATOR Dewey M. Bassett and George A. Langston,

Dayton, Ohio Application November 8, 1945, Serial No..627,516

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

3 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

The present invention relates to electrical circuits for generating pulses in the order of microseconds and more especially to a circuit arrangement for producing in response to a triggering pulse paired pulses of controllable width and spacing.

Numerous applications exist in pulsetransmia- :sion and reception systems .for circuits yielding in response to a triggering pulse paired pulses adjustable both in width and spacing. For example, in one type of aircraft interrogator-transponder system, wherein the transponder unit intercepts a pulse transmitted by the interrogator, the transponder then replies witha paired pulse which serves to actuate an identification coding device operating in conjunction with the interrogator receiver.

Circuits hithertodevised to generate paired pulses have suffered from certain deficiencies largely by reason of their instability ofoperation and difficulties encountered in adjusting the pulse width and spacing within appreciable lim- .its. To overcome the drawbacks of prior art arrangements, it is the object of this iinvention: first, to .aiiord a new and improved paired pulse generator of simple design, characterized by a high order of stability; sound, to provide a generator of this type enabling a relatively wide range of adjustment both in pulse width and spacing.

For complete understanding of the present invention, as well as other objects and features thereof, reference is made to the following detailed description. to be read in connection with the accompanying drawing. The scope of the invention will be pointed out and defined in the annexed claims.

In. the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram 'showing one preferred embodiment of a paired pulse generator in accordance with the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing another preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring now to Fig. l the paired pulsegenerator is shown to comprise a source it of triggering pulses for producing positive-going pulses assuming the form depicted by pulse ll, grid controlled, gas filled discharge device it, such as the type commonly known by the trade-mark Thyratron, and .two, four terminal. artificial transmission lines Bandit.

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) .to complete the delay network.

ratron l2.

between plate and cathode of Thyratron l2, the

other terminal pair being free. Artificial lines It and i4 each function as delay networks and preferably comprise two layers of solenoid wind-- ings, mutually insulated. The distributed capacity existing between the turns of the respective windings, indicated by dashed lines, serves It is to be understood that any other suitable type of artificial line may be employed in this circuit.

The behavior of the circuit will now be considered. Positive pulse ii is injected on the grid 'of Thyratron i2, firing the tube and causing plate current to flow therethrough. As is characteristic of gas filled tubes, current in Thyratron it continues to flow after the firing potential has been removed from the control grid, hence a voltage negative with respect to plate is developed'across plate resistor it. Whereupon a negative-going pulse is propagated along transmission line H which, being open at the freeend, acts to reflect said pulse after a time interval determined by the eflectivelength of the line, and returns the reflected pulse to the plate of Thyratron 52.

The returned pulse serves to extinguish Thy- The voltage Wave seen-on the plate of Thyratron l2 after it is fired by triggering pulse ll is plotted in form it. The leading edge 58 of form it coincides in time with the leading edge 2b of pulse El and indicates by its length the drop across plate resistor iii. Plate current continues flowing until the reflected pulse from artificial line I3 is applied to the plate, whereupon the resultant negative voltage represented in form its by edge '21, contributes to the drop across plate resistor l6 and is of a magnitude which extinguishes Thyratron l2, as indicated by trailing edge 22, thereby restoring theplate voltage to its static level.

The pulse v23 developed across load resistor H has a width in time equal to the duration of current flow in Thyratron 82, being equivalent to the spacing between leading edge l9 and edge it of voltage wave it. The width of pulse 23 may be adjusted by varying the delay time introduced by transmission line l3. It is also evident that the leading edge 2d of pulse 23 coincides in time with the leading edge of triggering pulse I, but that its width is not related thereto.

Pulse 23 is propagated along artificial transmission line l4, and since the free end of the line is open circuited, the pulse is thereby reflected. The impedance of load resistor I7 is preferably matched to the characteristic impedance of line l4. Hence the reflected pulse is fully absorbed by load resistor l1 and a second pulse 25 identical with pulse 23 is developed thereacross.

The time spacing 26 between first pulse 23 and second pulse 25 is determined by the time delay introduced by transmission line 4 and may be adjusted in step-wise fashion within wide limits by adding to or subtracting from the effective length of the line.

It is important to note that load resistor I! must be exactly matched to the impedance of the transmission line l4, otherwise continued reflections will occur producing a train of pulses of diminishing intensity. The paired pulses are extracted from the circuit across load resistor H.

Referring now to Fig. 2, there is shown a circuit for producing paired pulses whose width is determined by the time delay introduced by an artificial transmission line and whose spacing is selectively either fixed or variable, variable spacing being accomplish-ed without additions to artificial lines. The circuit includes two Thyratron tubes 21 and 28, and four triode vacuum tubes 29, 39, 3| and 32.

In operation an incoming positive-going trigger pulse 33 is applied at input terminal 34 and injected in Thyratron 21 through coupling capacitor 35, the pulse being of a magnitude sufilcient to fire the tube. The resultant voltage drop across plate resistor 36 causes a negative pulse to be propagated along an open ended artificial transmission line 31 connected between the plate of Thyratron 21 and ground. The resultant refiected negative pulse is applied to the plate, thereby extinguishing the tube. The voltage wave 38 on the plate of Thyratron 2'! assumes the same shape as that of form l8 in Fig. l. 7

Thus there is developed across cathode resistor 39 a square wave pulse 40, of the same polarity as trigger pulses 33, whose leading edge is coincident in time with the leading edge of trigger pulse 33 and whose width is determined by the time delay introduced by artificial transmission line 31. The cathode of Thyratron 27 is tied to the movable arm contact of a single pole, double throw switch 4| which serves to apply pulse 40, at position A, to a circuit arrangement including triode 32 and Thyratron 28, for producing a second pulse of fixed spacing therefrom, and 1at position B to an arrangement including triodes 29, 30, SI and Thyratron 28, providing a second pulse of variable spacing therefrom.

Considering now the operation of the circuit with switch 4| in position A, positive pulse 40 is applied to the grid of triode 32, causing a negative square wave pulse 42 to be developed across plate resistor 43. Shunted across plate resistor 43 is one pair of terminals of an artificial transmission line 44, the other terminal pair being connected to a fixed capacitor 45 which effectively shorts the line. Negative pulse 42 is propagated along line 44 and is then reflected in reverse polarity by capacitor 45. Thus a positive pulse 46 is developed across plate resistor 43. In order to have a relatively large voltage drop across resistor 43, its value is large relative to the impedance of artificial line 44. As a result continued pulse reflections of diminishing magnitude and alternating polarity occur as indicated by pulses 41 and 48. The plate output of triode 32 is fed through the A position of a second, single pole, double throw switch 49 to the grid of Thyratron 28.

Switch 49 is mechanically ganged with switch 4| whereby when switch 4| is at position A switch 45 is likewise positioned. The bias on Thyratron 28 is adjusted so that the tube is fired only by the magnitude in the order of the first positive pulse 46 produced by triode 32. When Thyratron 28 is fired, a negative voltage is developed across plate resistor 50. An open-ended artificial transmission line 5| connected across plate resistor 50 results in a reflected negative pulse which extinguishes Thyratron 28 after a time interval determined by the effective length of the line. Thus there is established across cathode resistor 52 a positive going square wave pulse 53 whose Width is determined by artificial line 5 l.

The first positive square wave pulse 40 which is developed across cathode resistor 39 is extracted from the circuit at an output terminal 55 connected to the tap of a potentiometer 54 connected between the cathodes of Thyratron 2'1 and 28. Also appearing at output terminal 55 is the second positive going square wave pulse 53 developed across cathode resistor 52 which is spaced from pulse 40 at an interval determined by the effective length of artificial line 44.

The circuit behavior will now be considered with switches 4| and 49 set at the B position to obtain paired pulses at terminal 55 of variable spacing. In this instance positive going square wave pulse 40 produced in the output of Thyratron 2? in response to triggering pulse 33 is injected on the grid of triode 29. The grid of triode 39 is coupled to the plate of triode 29 through coupling capacitor 56, these triodes being arranged to function as an unbalanced multivibrator producing a single square wave 57 in response to a triggering pulse. The width of square wave pulse 5'! is controlled by variable resistor 58. The plate of triode 39 is connected to the grid of triode 3i through a differentiating network consisting of capacitor 59 and resistor 60. The efiect of the differentiating network is to produce a positive pip i5! aligned with the leading edge of square wave 57 and a negative pip 62 aligned with the trailing edge thereof. Therefore it will be seen that time position of the negative pip 62 in effect is controlled by variable resistor 58.

Triode 3| is zero biased to draw current at saturation level, hence the positive pip 5| does not further influence the plate current. Negative pip 62, however, causes a positive pip 54 to be formed across plate resistor 63, which pip is applied to the grid of Thyratron 28 to fire same. Across cathode resistor 52 there is established the second positive square wave pulse 53 whose spacing from the first square wave pulse 49 is, in efiect, controlled by variable resistor 58 since its leading edge is coincident with negative pip 62.

It is to be noted that while variable spacing may be obtained in the A positions of switches 4| and 49 by adding or subtracting to the artificial lines involved in the resultant arrangement, it is more desirable in practice to employ the arrangement brought about in the B positions since the spacing between pulses is continuously variable and more easily adjusted.

Thus there has been shown what at present are considered preferred embodiments of the invention. It is evident that many changes and modifications may be made in the circuits without departing from the invention and it is therefore intended in the accompanying claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A circuit for producing in response to a triggering pulse paired pulses adjustable in spacing comprising a first pulse forming arrangement including a grid controlled, gas filled, discharge device, a plate voltage source for said device, a voltage dropping resistor in series with said source and said device, a load impedance for said device, an open reflecting delay line connected to the output of said discharge device, means for applying a triggering pulse to the control grid of said device to fire same whereby a first pulse is estab lished across said impedance, means responsive to said first pulse for producing a square wave adjustable in width, means for differentiating said square wave to obtain therefrom a trailing edge pip, a second pulse forming arrangement identical with said first arrangement and responsive to said trailing edge pip for developing a second pulse Whose spacing from said first pulse is substantially determined by the width of said square wave.

2. A circuit for producing in response to a triggering pulse paired pulses adjustable in spacing comprising a first pulse forming arrangement including a grid controlled, gas filled, discharge device, a plate voltage source for said device, a voltage dropping resistor in series with said source and said device, a load impedance for said device, an open reflecting delay line connected to the output of said discharge device, means for applying a triggering pulse to th control grid of said device to fire same whereby a first pulse is established across said impedance, an unbalanced multivibrator circuit responsive to said first pulse for producing a square wave adjustable in width, means for difierentiating said square wave to ob tain therefrom a trailing edge pip, a second pulse forming arrangement identical with said first arrangement and responsive to said trailing edge pip for developing a second pulse whose spacing from said first pulse is substantially determined by the width of said square wave.

3. A circuit for producing in response to a triggering pulse paired pulses adjustable in spac ing comprising a first, pulse forming arrangement including a grid controlled, gas filled, discharge device, a plate voltage source for said device, a voltage dropping resistor in series with said source and said device, a first load impedance for said device, an open reflecting delay line connected to the output of said discharge device, means for applying a triggering pulse to the control grid of said discharge device to fire same whereby a first pulse is established across said first impedance, a grid controlled vacuum tube, a second load impedance in the output circuit of said tube, acapacitor terminated reflecting delay line of an impedance greater than that of the second impedance connectedv across said second impedance, means for applying said first pulse to the control grid of said tube to produce a damped train of pulses having alternate polarity across said second impedance, a second pulse forming arrangement identical with said first arrangement and responsive to the second pulse in said damped train, and a third load impedance between said first load impedance and said second load impedance to provide a common output for said first and said second pulse.

DEWEY M. BASSETT. GEORGE A. LANGSTON.

REFERENCES Cll'llED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,266,154 Blumlein Dec. 16, 1941 2,394,389 Lord Feb. 5, 1946 2,415,093 Gerwin Feb, 4, 194'? 2,432,180 Tourshou Dec. 9, 1947 

